A Message from President Finegold
Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,
After more than six years as president of Chatham University, I recently shared with our board of trustees and leadership team that this will be my final academic year leading Chatham. I am announcing this now in order to allow ample time for the board to conduct a national search for a president who can build on the strong foundation and growth we’ve set for the university and who can see to fruition several multi-year capital projects and the next phase of Eden Hall Campus and the Falk School of Sustainability & Environment.
When a new leader is in place, I plan to start a new chapter in my career writing two books on the transformations underway in higher education (based on material I have been gathering in my ongoing podcast, The Future of Higher Education). I will also be exploring ways to continue advancing some of the key priorities during my time at Chatham: combatting climate change, creating affordable pathways to a college education, and helping colleges and universities pursue innovative strategies to thrive in a turbulent higher education environment.
Please know that over the course of this school year, I will work as hard as ever to continue Chatham’s strong positive momentum and to ensure a smooth transition next summer.
My time at Chatham has been transformational (for me and the university), despite the difficulties of leading a university during a global pandemic and the other challenges higher education is facing. Looking back, I’m extremely proud of how well the whole Chatham community has responded to these challenges, and what we have achieved together over the past six years, including:
More than doubling the size of our undergraduate student body, while also significantly increasing the academic qualifications of students and graduation rates
Having Chatham move from a Regional to a National University in the U.S. News & World Report rankings, and ranking among the top 20 national universities for social mobility (based on the percentage of Pell-eligible students and their graduation rates)
Creating the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and hiring Chatham’s first Chief Diversity Officer to champion inclusive excellence
Restoring tenure at a time when many institutions are moving away from it, while also continuing to invest in and add many new faculty and staff
Developing a range of cutting-edge new academic programs, such as Immersive Media, Data Analytics, Neuroscience, Athletic Training, and a new Social Justice minor
Advancing Chatham’s national leadership in sustainability (currently ranked # 4 in the Princeton Review Green College list) and continuing the rapid growth of the Eden Hall Campus and our Falk School for Sustainability and Environment
Achieving a dramatic improvement and growth in our athletics programs with Cougar student-athletes winning Chatham’s first individual and team President’s Athletic Conference championships as well as excelling in the classroom with academic All-American honors
Building many other win-win community partnerships that not only benefit Chatham students, but also the wider community, including:
Renovating UPMC Graham Field in Wilkinsburg, utilization of the historic West Field in Munhall, working with the Penguins to convert the historic Hunt Armory into an ice rink, and partnering on a new community squash facility with Steel City Squash in Larimer
Creating a dual-enrollment model with the new Environmental Charter High School
Serving as the new academic home for the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh, and working with the Tree of Life to combat all forms of identity-based violence and discrimination and to add minors in Jewish Studies and Holocaust and Genocide Studies
Hosting the Pennsylvania Center for Employee Ownership and building the nation’s first city-wide task force to promote broad-based employee ownership
Partnering with one of the nation’s leading green architects to develop an EcoVillage on our Eden Hall Campus
These accomplishments (and many more) were true team efforts made possible by an outstanding faculty, staff, and leadership team that are as dedicated to student success as any I’ve had the pleasure to work with throughout my nearly four decades in higher education.
Serving as Chatham University’s 19th president has been one of the greatest honors of my life and career. Sue and I will treasure the wonderful range of new friends we’ve made among the Chatham community and our partners across the region. In addition, one of Pittsburgh’s greatest strengths is the strong spirit of cooperation among the city’s 11 colleges and universities together with our foundation community, industry, non-profit and government partners, which was vital to how we collectively navigated the pandemic and has led to exciting new initiatives like Pittsburgh Scholar House. These relationships not only benefit Chatham, but also have succeeded in making this one of the most personally fulfilling jobs I can imagine.
There is still a great deal to be done—including the completion of our next strategic plan—between now and next summer and I’m excited to work with all of you until my final day in the office. As always, thank you for your support, dedication, and partnership on behalf of Chatham University.
Sincerely,
David Finegold
President